Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 261 Hu Ruoxi's Winery

Wu Zhiyuan moved, like a cheetah poised to pounce.

Instead of charging directly at the gunman, he took advantage of the moment when the gunman turned his gun and focused his attention on Hu Ruoxi and her daughter, and with a swift side roll that almost touched the ground, he instantly darted to the gunman's side and rear.

The gunman seemed to sense someone behind him and hurriedly tried to turn around, but it was too late.

Wu Zhiyuan leaped up from the ground, his right hand gripping the man's right wrist, which was holding the gun, like an iron clamp, while his left hand swiftly chopped at the side of the man's neck.

The gunman let out a short, muffled groan as the shotgun flew from his hand. Wu Zhiyuan pinned him to the ground, his face slamming hard against the concrete.

Wu Zhiyuan pressed his knee against the man's lower back, twisted his arms behind his back, and completely subdued him. The whole process was done in one go, taking only two or three seconds.

"good!"

"pretty!"

"Great job!"

Tourists who witnessed this thrilling scene cheered in suppressed excitement, with some shouting "Chinese Kung Fu!" in English.

In dire straits, seeing someone step forward to subdue the thugs undoubtedly gave the terrified people tremendous courage.

Hu Ruoxi, supporting her mother, had just scrambled behind a rock and, still shaken, turned around to see Wu Zhiyuan subduing the gunman like a god of war. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up in her eyes, and she tightly grasped her mother's hand.

Her mother clutched her chest, staring at the scene in disbelief.

However, the crisis is not over.

The two gunmen were actually father and son.

"Damn it!" the older gunman roared angrily as he saw his son being subdued.

He turned the muzzle of his semi-automatic rifle, no longer firing at the crowd, but aiming it at Wu Zhiyuan, and pulled the trigger repeatedly!

Da da da!

The bullets hit the rocks, sending shards of rock flying.

Li Li, who had fallen near a picnic table not far away, was so frightened that she made a loud noise while trying to climb to a safer shelter.

Her brightly colored dress stood out in the chaos.

The older gunman's bloodshot eyes were instantly drawn to the gun, and he instinctively turned the muzzle of his gun, pointing it at Li Li, who was trying to crawl and was completely unprepared.

"No—!" Wen Changcheng, hiding behind the ice cream truck, cried out in shock upon seeing this scene.

Li Li also felt the gaze of death, frozen in place, her face pale, her mind blank.

In a split second, Wu Zhiyuan made his decision.

Just before the older gunman pulled the trigger, Wu Zhiyuan suddenly drew a pistol from the younger gunman's waist.

With almost no aiming, relying entirely on muscle memory and intuition, Wu Zhiyuan pulled the trigger the moment the older gunman was about to shoot Li Li!

boom!

A crisp gunshot rang out.

The older gunman was hit by a bullet in his right arm, which was holding the gun. He let out a painful cry, and the rifle slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

He staggered back a few steps, his left hand instinctively reaching to cover his wound.

Outside the park, the wailing of sirens filled the air.

The police's stern shouts came from multiple directions.

Several police officers swiftly pounced on the wounded, elderly gunman, pinning him to the ground and handcuffing him.

Several other police officers rushed towards Wu Zhiyuan's side.

Worried that the police might mistake him for an accomplice of the gunman, Wu Zhiyuan placed his pistol on the ground and raised his hands as a signal.

After confirming that it was safe, the police handcuffed the young gunman and took him away.

Ambulances followed closely behind, and medical personnel began to treat the injured.

"Oh my god! He saved that lady!"

"He's a hero! A Chinese hero!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause once again, many eyes fixed on Wu Zhiyuan with admiration and gratitude.

The lightning-fast disarming and precise shooting just now saved many lives.

Tears welled up in Li Li's eyes, a mixture of fear, lingering dread, and indescribable gratitude towards Wu Zhiyuan.

The members of the inspection team gathered around, and Wu Zhiyuan counted the number of people one by one.

Fortunately, although the members of the expedition were frightened, no one was killed or injured.

It was only later that we learned that the shooting had killed sixteen people and injured more than a dozen.

If it weren't for Wu Zhiyuan, undoubtedly many more innocent people would have been killed.

The chaos of the shooting was gradually brought under control by the police.

The piercing sirens, flashing police lights, rushing medical staff, and the terrified, crying, or stunned crowds formed the horrific scene following the incident.

After a preliminary understanding of the situation at the scene, the police highly praised Wu Zhiyuan and hoped that he would stay to cooperate in making a statement.

Wen Changcheng called Wu Zhiyuan aside and whispered, "Zhiyuan, your performance just now was very brave and responsible. You prevented casualties among our delegation members and protected foreign citizens, which is commendable."

However, this incident occurred abroad, involved guns and violence, and was during our investment promotion and inspection period, making it quite sensitive.

My opinion is that we shouldn't overemphasize this. After all, we're here to invest and conduct research, not to showcase personal heroism.

The emphasis should be on highlighting the unity and adherence to foreign affairs discipline of our entire delegation in the face of unexpected events, emphasizing the handling of the situation by the local police, and downplaying individual actions.

This is also to avoid unnecessary trouble and over-interpretation, do you understand?

"Mayor Wen, I understand. The situation was urgent at the time, and I just reacted instinctively without thinking too much. I will follow the arrangements made by the delegation," Wu Zhiyuan replied calmly.

Wen Changcheng nodded and turned to negotiate with the local government, police, and consulate personnel who had arrived.

Taking advantage of the break before the statement was taken, Wu Zhiyuan approached Hu Ruoxi and her daughter.

Hu Ruoxi's mother looked quite frightened; her face was pale, and she was holding her daughter's hand tightly.

Compared to her mother's lingering shock, Hu Ruoxi was much calmer.

"Zhiyuan, are you hurt?" Hu Ruoxi looked him up and down and asked with concern.

"I'm fine, not even a scratch." Wu Zhiyuan smiled calmly, then turned to Hu Ruoxi's mother, "Auntie, you were frightened. It's alright now, you're safe."

Hu Ruoxi's mother said gratefully, "Thank you so much. That was terrifying. Thank goodness for you..."

"Auntie, don't mention it, it's nothing." Wu Zhiyuan looked at Hu Ruoxi, "Ruoxi, why couldn't I get through to your phone? I thought..."

"I'm sorry, Zhiyuan, that number is temporarily out of service due to some issues."

I never expected to run into you here, especially in this way.

My mother and I came here for tourism. We heard that this carnival had Chinese cultural performances, and my mother wanted to come and see them. We never expected this tragic shooting to happen.

Gun control in Australia is not strict enough; it seems safer to operate domestically.

Upon learning that Wu Zhiyuan was in Australia for an inspection, Hu Ruoxi suggested, "Zhiyuan, if your inspection team's schedule isn't too busy, you could visit South Australia."

I now live permanently in Australia. I bought a country house and a farm, and I have a vineyard. The scenery is beautiful and it's very quiet.

Wu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ruoxi, let me report to the commander and see what he thinks."

Hu Ruoxi said urgently, "Zhiyuan, if the commander is unwilling, then you should ask for leave. Since you're coming to Australia, I should do my best to be a good host."

Wen Changcheng completed initial negotiations with local government, police, and consulate personnel.

In light of the sudden and serious shooting incident, several subsequent events have been cancelled.

The entire city was in a state of panic.

Wen Changcheng gathered everyone together and said in a deep voice, "You've all been frightened. The situation just now was extremely dangerous. Fortunately, no one in our regiment was injured or killed, which is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

Comrade Zhiyuan's composure in the face of danger and his decisive actions are worthy of our emulation.

Considering the current situation and everyone's physical and mental well-being, the planned itinerary for the next two days has been cancelled and replaced with internal rest and safety training.

He paused, then looked at Wu Zhiyuan: "Just now, Comrade Zhiyuan mentioned that an old friend of his in Australia invited us to visit her winery in South Australia, both to relax and as a form of informal, grassroots exchange."

I think this suggestion is worth considering. Firstly, it would allow everyone to change their environment and ease their tension;

Secondly, South Australia boasts beautiful scenery, and the estate is relatively secluded and safe, making it convenient for us to organize and summarize our work, while also experiencing Australia's agricultural and winemaking industries. What do you all think?

Having experienced a life-or-death moment, most people are eager to leave the city where the bloodshed just happened and go to a quiet and safe place to catch their breath.

Moreover, since the commander had already spoken, no one objected.

Lang Yuanyuan nodded in agreement: "Mayor Wen's consideration is very thoughtful. It would be good to go to the manor to rest and recuperate, and also to see the rural industries in this foreign country and broaden our horizons."

Wen Changcheng made the final decision: "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's adjust our itinerary and go to Nan'ao."

The delegation, along with Hu Ruoxi and her daughter, flew thousands of miles to Nan'ao.

As the minibus drove away from the city, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from urban buildings to open wilderness and rolling hills, eventually entering a river valley covered with vineyards and orchards.

The sky was a clear, bright blue, the sun was shining, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and earth, a stark contrast to the bloody and chaotic scene in the park.

Hu Ruoxi's manor is located on a gentle slope, backed by dark green mountains and facing a winding river.

The car slowly drove along a country road, with neat and well-trimmed grape trellises on both sides. The grapevines were full of purple-black or green grapes, which gave off a sweet and rich aroma.

"We're here! We're finally home!" Hu Ruoxi said excitedly. "My country villa is just ahead. I never thought I'd make it home alive."